CVE-2023-25565Network attack vector

Process crash via invalid target-info buffer frees

Published Feb 14, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Incorrect memory release in target-info decoding in gssapi GSS-NTLMSSP before 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to crash an authenticating process. On an error path in ntlm_decode_target_info, the code frees cb and sh even though those buffers do not own separately allocated copies of the decoded target data. Reachability requires an application to process a crafted NTLM authentication token through gss_accept_sec_context; the documented result is an allocator assertion and process-level service interruption.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect memory release in target-info decoding in gssapi GSS-NTLMSSP before 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to crash an authenticating process. On an error path in ntlm_decode_target_info, the code frees cb and sh even though those buffers do not own separately allocated copies of the decoded target data. Reachability requires an application to process a crafted NTLM authentication token through gss_accept_sec_context; the documented result is an allocator assertion and process-level service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-25565
Published
Feb 14, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
gssapi
Product
GSS-NTLMSSP
Classifications
CWE-590, CWE-763, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 1.2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

gssapi · GSS-NTLMSSPversion=< 1.2.0

Published CVSS scores

7.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-590Free of Memory not on the Heap
CWE-763Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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